Airplane



D. DUBBINS.

AIRPLANE. APPLICATIDN FILED NOV. 25, 191B.

Patented Apr. 13, 192 1 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1x1 'E.\'TOR. 0006245 0088075 1 TTORNE) D. DOVBBINS.

AIRPLANE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, I918.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR. Dousms 0055/:

m cm BY 11 TTORNE Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DOUGLAS DOBBINS, 0F SHELBYVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 JOHN DAY DE PREZ, 0F SHELBYVILLE, INDIANA.

AIRPLANE.

Application filed November 25, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DOUGLAS DoBmNs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Shelbyville, county of Shelby, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Airplane; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts.

This invention is an improvement on that disclosed in my former application on improvements in air-planes, Serial No. 259,667, filed Oct. 25, 1918.

The objects of this invention are to enable the auxiliary propellers to be used as a substitute for the main propeller, when it or the engine stops, to continue the forward movement of the plane, and also to enable the auxiliary propellers to be folded away, as it were, when not in use. where they will not appreciably catch the air and retard the progress of the plane.

In rising and at other times while in flight, if the engine suddenly stops the main propeller, before the plane has attained sufficient momentum or when the plane suddenly loses momentum. it will drop and be destroyed by the fall. To prevent the plane from dropping, in such event as the stoppage of the engine or main propeller. it is necessary that the plane be kept moving in order that the planes may function and keep the air-plane in proper position. Therefore in this invention the auxiliary propellers are mounted so that they can be in a position, or instantly moved into a position, whereby they can perform the function of the main propeller and propel the air-plane. To do this the auxiliary propellers must at the time be in a vertical position like the main propeller.

In my former patent the auxiliary propellers were designed for use to aid in lifting and starting the air-plane. and to retard the descent thereof in landing. To do that work the auxiliary propellers must be substantially horizontal. 3 One feature of this invention consists in so mounting the auxiliary propellers that they can be moved instantly from a horizontal to a vertical position, preferably forward. and thus perform temporarily the work of the main pro- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

Serial No. 264,076.

peller, and then be moved back to the horizontal position.

In order that the auxiliary propellers may, when not in use, resist the progress of the air-plane as little as possible, a feature of this invention also is to enable said auxiliary propellers to be folded backward into pockets in a plane where they will catch butlittle air and not retard the progress of the air-plane very much, and from which they can be quickly moved to a horizontal or lifting position, or to a vertical or propelling position.

The foregoing and other features of this invention will be noted from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of an air-plane equipped with this invention, parts-being shown by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through one side of the body of the air-plane and associated parts and showing in elevation a part of the auxiliary propeller shaft and the means for operating and looking it, parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the air-plane beneath the top plane. parts being broken away. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the valve mechanism for controlling compressed air for driving said propellers.

There is shown in the drawing the general construction of an air-plane, but this invention is not limited to any particular construction thereof and that herein shown is only for the purpose of illustrating this invention. as it can be used with other forms and constructions of air-planes.

There is a body 10, an upper plane 11. a lower plane 12, parts 13 connecting the planes. braces 14 for holding the planes and braces in position. a main and vertically disposed propeller 15 at the front of the body. a wheeled supporting structure 16 at the front, a supporting structure 17 at the rear, and a tail piece or rudder 18.

On the lower plane, at each side of the body 10 of the plane. there is a horizontal tubular shaft 20 secured in bearings 21 so it can oscillate. This shaft should be located as nearly as possible at the vertical centerplane of gravity of the air-plane, and to it are secured vertical tubes 22, carrying on their upper ends auxiliary propellers 23 driven by rotary air engines 24, whlch are supplied with compressed air coming through the tubes 20 and 22. The construction of the rotary engine 24 and the propeller 23 associated therewith is the same as that set forth in my prior patent above mentioned. I

The two tubes 20 extend through the side walls of the body 10 where they are oined with stationary air pipes 25 by any suitable means, the same, however, to provide for a leak-proof joint, as well as for the rotation of the tubes 20. Air pipes 25 are suitably connected with a main "air pipe 26 leading from a compressed air tank 27, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 the same being located in the rear part of the body, but this tank can be variously located according to the particular construction of the air-plane so as to be out of the way as much as possible. The main air line 26 has in it a valve 27, and each of the branch air pipes 25 has in it a valve 28. These valves 27 and 28 should be located as accessible to the pilot or observer as possible so that he can operate them quickly.

The auxiliary propellers 23 are changed from the upper and horizontal position to the forward and propelling position shown by the dotted line in Fig. 1, or to a rearward and out-of-the-way position as shown in Fig. 4, by oscillating the tubular shafts 20. The joint between the oscillatable tube 20 and the fixed pipe 25 is air tight, but so as to permit the tube 20 to be oscillated. Said tube may be oscillated by the means herein shown. consisting of a notched ratchet disk 30 secured on the shaft. having as many notches in its periphery as desired. and a hand lever 31 pivoted on the shaft 20 and extending upward in a position accessible to the pilot or observer when in the air-plane. In the form shown here the lower part of the handle 31 is bifurcated and fits astride the ratchet disk 30. A rod 32 is mounted slidably parallel with the lever 31, in bearings 33 and 34 secured to said lever 31. This rod carries a pawl 35 on its lower end adapted to engage the notches on the ratchet disk 30. It also carries a collar 36 against which a spring 37 acts in coiiperation with the bearing 33 to force the rod 32 downward and the pawl 35 into a notch in the ratchet disk 30. The rod 32 and pawl 35 are withdrawn from the ratchet disk 30 by a finger lever 40 fulcrumed at 41 to the hand lever 31, near its upper end so that it can be operated by the same hand which. The fingrasps and operates the lever 31. ger lever 40 is, a bell crank lever connected by the pivoted rod 42 to the upper end of therod 32. When the finger lever 40 is grasped and forced toward the upper end of the hand lever 31 it will Withdraw the pawl 35 out of engagement with the ratchet disk 30. When the finger 40 is released, the spring 37 forces the pawl 35 into engagement with the ratchet disk 30.

By the foregoing means the propellers may be changed in position by repeated short angular movements of the hand lever 31, according to the closeness of the notches on the ratchet disk 30, so that its operation will be convenient for the operator. Thus two movements of said lever can chan e the auxiliary propellers from idle to uprig t position or from upright to. forward position. The means for locking the propellers in their adjusted positions consists of the finger 45 secured to the rod 32, as seen in Fig. 3 in position to overlap and ride upon an arcuate bar 46 secured to the side of the body 10 of the air-plane and having a notch in its upper surface. This finger 45 is, therefore, operated at the same time, and in the same direction and by the same means as the pawl 35. The parts described are so arranged that the device will look when the auxiliary propellers are in their vertical or forward or rearward positions. If the notches in the ratchet disk 30 are placed 45 degrees apart, it may also look and hold the said propellers in intermediate position. Therefore, by placing in the ratchet disk 30 a suitable number of notches, the auxiliary propellers may be adjusted and held in any an ular position desired.

ockets or recesses 50 are made in the lower plane 12 to receive the auxiliary propellers when they are not in use during flight. At that time these propellers are turned rearward so-that the tubes 22 lie upon the lower plane in a horizontal position, and the propellers are submerged in the pockets '50 where they will not catch much air during the travel of the air-plane to retard its pro 'ress.

is invention may be operated in different ways, according to the desire of the operator. Thus he may, if he wishes, keep the auxiliary propellers in their forward position normally with the valves 28 open. Then, if his main propeller or enginestop he can start the auxiliary propeller by merely turning one valve 27 which admits compressed air to all of the auxiliary propeller actuating means. This might, be desirable because ofthe quickness with which the auxiliary propellers could be started,

when the main propeller shows signs of stop-.

ping, as for instance while rising'a'nd before the air-plane has acquired a velocity which.

gives it a sufficient momentum to keep it going and prevent it from dropping before it gets under way.', In such event, or. when the main propeller stopsfthese auxiliary propellers operate by the independent means which are always reliable and at hand and may be utilized instantly to keep the air-plane moving so that it can be controlled in landing safely.

If the operators prefer that the auxiliary propellers be normally in the forward position for instant use, while in flight, he can bring them to an upright position while landing because then he will have ample time to manipulate the same, but, if desired, he can keep these propellers normally in an upright position and can operate the levers 31 quickly to change them to the forward position, i the engine orthe main propellers stops. in rising he can adjust the auxiliary propellers to a forward position intermediate the two positions shown in Fig. 1 so that they will both lift and propel the air-plane. In landing he can adjust these propellers to a position intermediate the upright and idle position so that then they will tend to lift and retard the progress of the plane.

Effort has been made to explain the general features of the invention, but it is not limited to the details of construction herein shown, as these details could be varied for difierent constructions of air-planes.

The invention claimed is:

1. The combination with an air-plane, of a plurality of propellers, tubular supports for said propellers, means for supplying fluid under pressure to said supports for driving the propellers, and means for changing the angular positions of the propeller supports.

2. The combination with an air-plane, of a plurality of propellers, a horizontal tubular shaft, pipes extending at right angles from said shaft on which the propellers are mounted, means for supplying fluid under press-ere through said shaft and pipes for driving the propellers, and means for changing the angular positions of said propeller supporting pipes. a

3. The combination with an air-plane, of a plurality of propellers, a pair of horizontal and laterally extending tubular shafts for carrying said propellers, means for oscillating said shafts, and a single means for supplying fluid under pressure to said shafts for driving the propellers.

4. The combination with an air-plane, of a plurality of propellers, a pair of horizontal and laterally extending tubular shafts for carrying said propellers, means for oscillating said shaft, means for supplying fluid under pressure to said shafts, and a single valve for controlling the supply of fluid thereto.

5. The combination withan air-plane, of a plurality of propellers, a pair of horizontal and laterally extending tubular shafts for carrying said propellers, means for oscillating said shafts, means for supplying fluid under pressure to said shafts, and a separate valve for controlling the supply of fluid to each shaft.

6. The combination with an air-plane, having a plane, of a plurality of propellers angularly adjustable to working and idle positions, said plane having a pocket in it for receiving each propeller when in idle position.

7. The combination with an air plane having a laterally extending plane, of a plurality of propellers, vertical means for supporting the propellers mounted so as to be angularly adjustable to working or idle position, said plane having pockets in it for receiving the propellers when in idle position.

8. The combination with an airplane having a laterally extending plane, a laterally extending shaft, a plurality of propellers, propeller supports extending at right angles to said shaft, and means for oscillating said shaft to adjust the propellers into various an ular positions when at work or idle, said p ane having pockets in it to receive the propellers when in idle position.

In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

DOUGLAS DOBBINS. 

